


Got You

by DiLithiumDragon



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Foiled Confessions, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, No Plot/Plotless, POV Alternating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:35:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,189
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22900330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiLithiumDragon/pseuds/DiLithiumDragon
Summary: He had to say something, but his mind was going blank. He had to know one thing, but he kept forgetting what to say.I'm gonna make this easy for Yu: Yosuke had to hear him out.
Relationships: Hanamura Yosuke/Narukami Yu, Hanamura Yosuke/Persona 4 Protagonist, Hanamura Yosuke/Seta Souji
Comments: 12
Kudos: 112





	1. Mind Going Blank

**Author's Note:**

> Hey uhh I love Mystery Skulls and this song is just a nervous gay baby Yu jam to me, so. Here's a short fic to exemplify this.  
> (thanks to AgeofZero for once again being my beta. ;w; Also we don't care if the logistics don't make sense, I was gonna write this idea and damned if it didn't make sense in the real world.)  
> (hey I still have no idea how to tag things)

Yu had made a mistake.

Maybe it was the confidence boost that came from gaining courage by defeating a tough shadow. Maybe it was the reassurance that it wouldn't be a face to face confrontation. Or maybe it was just the fact that Yu had noticed himself staring during their last battle and, even though he caught himself each time and returned to combat mode, he just kept going back to staring.

Either way, Yu found himself sitting in the announcement room of Yasogami, in front of the microphone for the PA system, the eager students in charge awaiting his cue.

Yu bit his lip, unsure of what to say, even. If Yosuke was here, then Yosuke could say it for him. It hadn't taken long at all for the delightfully bright, action-oriented Yosuke to learn how to read Yu's expressions and intents, a blank mystery though they seemed, and Yosuke had just taken to leadership so well. Much better than Yu had, at least. The others may have appointed Yu as their leader, but it was in title only.

He often wondered if v-necks were Yosuke's favourite style of shirt, as Yosuke wore those the most often. At the roots, Yosuke's hair seemed to be brighter; did he dye it? Yu liked Yosuke's eyes, bright and determined in nearly every situation, and admired Yosuke's quick problem solving, his fast wit, his ability to read into the situation. Even if he didn't always utilise it correctly.

These were great places to start, but wouldn't that be too obvious? Yu didn't want to ramble too much, to never get to the point. His parents had told him to be more concise, to not say anything at all if he couldn't be quick about it. The words always got so stuck in his throat and this had been such a terrible idea.

"Narukami-kun?" One of the students spoke up, making Yu jump a bit. He'd been too deep in his own thoughts and inability to adequately begin. The student gave him an encouraging smile. "Go on. You can do this."

Yu could barely think straight, much less go through with this. Why had the teachers and staff allowed this? How could Narukami get away with this?

But he had to say something. Oh, his mind was going blank.

He swallowed thickly, hoping to god his tongue wouldn't betray him now, and nodded. The students grinned with a renewed giddiness and one of them happily flipped the switch. The announcement jingle played over the speakers and the microphone hummed as it came to life.

No running now. Yu had to do this. He'd made a terrible mistake.

//

"Good afternoon, students of Yasogami High! We've got a special announcement for you!"

The enthusiastic voice of the student announcer rang out over the speakers. After a solid minute of silence after the announcement jingle had played. A wave of murmurs went around the class while Mister Kondo paused to look up at the speaker. Chie and Yukiko shared a look, then glanced back at Yosuke. He wasn't sure how to respond, so he shrugged. He'd known his partner had a plan in mind, but this?

On the one hand, a surge of pride straightened Yosuke's posture. Yu had so much trouble speaking up, it had to have taken a ton of courage to do something like this. Yu hadn't even consulted Yosuke about structuring a speech for this or anything!

"One of our very own -- I'm sure you know him! -- has something heartfelt they'd like to share with their special someone. Isn't that just so romantic?" The announcer continued. "So, without further ado, our second year transfer student stud, Narukami-san!"

Yosuke's shoulders drooped. On the other hand, it had to be a confession of love. The girls in the class buzzed excitedly, hopeful and betting on who it might be at the same time. Yosuke heard them throw around that they'd seen him with Ai or Yumi or Ayane recently, that of course it might be Rise or Yukiko. Even Chie and Yukiko sat at attention, watching the speaker unblinkingly. Yosuke sank in his seat, a cold grip tightening around his gut.

He'd known his partner would find an attractive lady at some point. The guy was so charming, especially considering his thinly veiled awkwardness. But this would mean they'd all spend less time with him as he got pulled on dates with this special someone. It meant less time Yosuke would get to hang out with Yu, his partner.

They'd all be strictly just searching for the killer. That was the nature of commitments.

Yosuke was a fool to have had any hope.

A nervous clearing of the throat came next, a sound unmistakably Yu. "Ah. H-Hello. Sorry. Um. Is it -- should I go now?"

It made Yosuke soften, despite the cold harsh reality of the situation dragging him down. This was his partner's decision and it had to have taken a lot of courage. No matter the outcome, Yosuke wanted to support Yu and whoever it was that he'd chosen.

After receiving some unintelligible encouragement, Yu continued. "Right. Okay. Thank you. Um, I-I. Hi. This is Narukami."

There was a scattering of laughter around the room, including Yukiko, and Yosuke smiled, endeared at how awkward Yu sounded. Yu could be too cute sometimes, always genuine and never putting on a front or hiding anything. It was truly something to admire.

Yu, who'd paused (probably to berate himself), started up again. "I-I've been thinking about this for a while and. Well, I know this isn't the best way of telling you how I feel or the conclusion I came to about our-our relationship. Friendship? Either way, I'm sorry for broadcasting this over the whole school. And-And sorry again for not being able to tell you in-person."

Every girl in the class seemed to croon in a collective 'aww' over Yu's hesitant stuttering. Even Chie and Yukiko looked absolutely smitten. And Yosuke couldn't disagree with any of them, though he'd never admit so aloud. In fact, now that Yosuke thought to look around the room for it, quite a few of the guys seemed to also be dreamily lost in Yu's ramblings. Yosuke laughed quietly to himself. Yu's charm levels could pierce even the straightest of hearts!

"I wanted to say it, but." Yu paused, noticing that he was rambling. "Anyway. I wanted to say. I've fallen in love with you."

The girls cheered, a few of the guys whooped, and Yosuke missed whatever it was that Yu said next. The class quickly quieted, at least, allowing Yu to be heard.

"You're probably the best friend I've ever had, and I'm so grateful to have you in my life. You're kind, devoted, and always know what it is I'm trying to communicate. Honestly, there's no one else I'd rather have to be by my side than you."

The class collectively swooned, even though it was obvious now that Yu was talking about one of his close friends. Most likely one of the Investigation Team members, even. Chie stood, startling Yukiko and a few of the others around, her expression shifting to one of suspicion. She'd figured it out all ready. Yosuke, meanwhile, wracked his brain for who it could be out of the lot of them.

Yu made a soft, upset noise and quickly backpedalled. "I mean. I love all of my friends, I'm not saying. It's not that I don't cherish everyone, I just." He let out a long, defeated breath. "I want to hold your hand. Take you out on dates. Maybe even, ah, spoil you a little? A-At least, if you'll let me. If you'd be okay with that."

Chie looked over at Yosuke suddenly. He frowned, silently questioning her as to why. She seemed upset by his lack of understanding, then turned her gaze back to the speaker. Was it her whom Yu was talking about? Yosuke highly doubted it, but wasn't about to take the possibility off the table. Some of the decisions Yu could make seemed so out of left field at times.

Yu chuckled softly over the speakers. "Well. A-Anyway, if you would do me the honour of-of being. Of, um. Of going out with me, I'd really, really like that. But, uh, don't feel too pressured into doing it or even answering right away! I'll understand if you just want to remain friends." He paused unsurely, then nervously cleared his throat. "Um, thank you for your time. Sorry for taking up so much of it."

The speaker played its end jingle, signalling the end of that. Yosuke nearly snorted at Yu's formality and need to be polite there at the end. Almost like he'd forgotten for a moment that he'd broadcast this over the whole of the school. He really wasn't the best speech giver, but Yosuke would rate this one a six out of ten, just for the heartfelt words and genuine sentiment behind them.

It struck him then, however, that Yu hadn't even named who it was the speech was for throughout the whole thing.

The rest of the class seemed to realise this at the same moment, too, as they sat in quiet disbelief for a minute. Even Chie made an annoyed face as she plopped back down into her seat while Yukiko giggled to herself. Finally, one girl stood and asked, "But which one of us did he mean?"

That seemed to break the class and the uproar of a heated discussion rose. Accusations were thrown out (Yosuke caught the name of every female Investigation Team member and had to restrain himself from throwing out Kanji's name just for equality's sake), guesses were made, evidence was raised, and a riot was sure to break out if this continued. Yosuke briefly considered asking Chie what she'd figured out, but didn't want to admit that he hadn't been able to tell right away. Or at all. Hell, the confession could've been for Teddie and they all might've just been bamboozled by their wacky leader.

While Mister Kondo attempted to cease the class' rowdy debate, Yukiko leaned over towards Chie, still giggling. "He didn't sign his name afterwards, too."

"That's what got you this time?" Chie groaned. "The whole school's gonna be in an uproar over the fact that he didn't say who this was for, even though it was completely obvious, and you're hung up on some unintentional joke?"

"Really?" Yukiko's giggles subsided immediately and her expression became thoughtful. "I didn't think it was obvious at all."

"It was so obvious!" Chie threw her hands into the air, then whirled on Yosuke. "Right, Yosuke?"

He jumped, both caught off-guard and unsettled by the aggravation in Chie's tone. He couldn't offer up more than an, "Uhh" before Chie turned back to Yukiko.

"Are you guys serious right now? How am I the only one who gets this?"

Yukiko devolved into a fit of giggles once again and Chie slumped forward onto her desk. Yeah, how was she the only one smart enough to have figured this out? Yosuke half got up to ask, but Mister Kondo shouted loud enough to shock the whole class into silence, then continued on with the English lesson. Yosuke grimaced and sunk into his seat. Maybe he could ask Naoto about it later. She'd know for sure.

Then again. Wasn't it embarrassing to admit that he couldn't tell? Especially when he was normally so in-tune with his partner. Sometimes, the only one who realised Yu was upset or too angry to speak was Yosuke. After they'd caught Kubo, Yosuke was the only one to realise how distraught Yu was over the thought of losing his friends and had to communicate it to their group so as to cheer up their leader, their friend.

So then, wasn't admitting that he didn't understand Yu for once a failure on his part? Was it just because Yosuke selfishly didn't want to believe that Yu had fallen for someone? Was it because Yosuke wanted Yu all to himself so much at times that it took some real goddamn effort to beat that selfish darkness into submission?

A thought struck Yosuke, making him sit bolt upright. Had Yu been addressing him with that speech? Was Yu confessing to him?

Yosuke pondered it for a good minute. It was a nice thought. He'd all ready accepted that he'd fallen for Yu by this point (it'd been their hug, their brawl to become equals on the Samegawa floodplain that had really made it click in Yosuke's mind), so it'd be a nice surprise to find out his feelings were returned.

But, in the end, it was too ridiculous a fantasy to take seriously and he laughed it off. Yu, the most socially awkward and charming guy around who could woo literally anyone of his choice, settling for an unlucky loser trash child like Yosuke? Yeah, right. As if. There were so many better options out there. Anyone, in fact, would make a better choice than the disappointing Junes Prince who chattered so constantly that it was a wonder he didn't have a foot stuck permanently in his mouth.

Yosuke's shoulders drooped. Right. So many better options. Ones that wouldn't be cursed with bad luck or have the looming corporate empire of Junes behind them. Besides, Yosuke was pretty sure that Yu couldn't be gay. When he'd gone to apologise to Kanji for all the disrespectful shit he'd pulled (and Kanji had punched his arm so hard that it'd been sore for days, calling them even after that), even Kanji admitted that Yu seemed too much like a ladies' man to be anything else.

It wouldn't work out between the two of them, anyway. They were partners, but only meant to remain friends. And Yosuke would do his best to support Yu through it all. Right up to the end.

Swallowing that disappointment, Yosuke tried to push his thoughts aside and pay attention to the lesson. Someone needed to take notes for Yu when he returned. Besides, they'd all get a chance to ask about it once classes had ended for the day. Though, considering all of their group, Yosuke doubted there'd be any helpful answers to be gained.

//

Luckily, despite not having gotten a spare moment to himself since the terrible mistake of an announcement, the response from everyone, including Yosuke, seemed to be positive. During the rest of classes, Yosuke even wrote him a note about it, scoring the confession a six out of ten, noting that his speech skills had improved, even if he was still a little awkward and rambling. Which, at least Yosuke had liked it. That was one major worry out of the way.

Of course, whether or not Yosuke understood that it was meant for him because Yu had forgotten to even say Yosuke's name or call him partner was another worry entirely, but Yu was trying not to let that freak him out. After all, Yosuke couldn't be that dense.

Yu had tried to choose subtle yet obvious tells and avoided using the term 'boyfriend', just in case, but Yosuke had to have gotten the message. He had to have. Because, sometimes, the only one who could tell what Yu even wanted to say was Yosuke.

Yosuke was so reliable. He was quick in combat, making him the ideal healer or setup guy. All-Out attacks were also often up to Yosuke, as he could quickly down every enemy effortlessly through weaknesses or surprise criticals. Honestly, Yu probably relied on Yosuke too much for relaying or coming up with battle strategies. Yu counted on Yosuke being able to interpret his often unsaid words.

Then again, and this thought made Yu bite his lip nervously, Yosuke was so terribly hard on himself. They were all only teenagers, of course they'd do stupid shit they'd regret later (though everyone gave Yu more of a pass on his indiscretions by the virtue of his inability to speak up all that often), but Yosuke seemed to get it the worst. And, after their group was done criticising Yosuke, then he would proceed to beat himself up over it even more so.

Yosuke was harder on himself than anyone Yu had ever known. At least, aside from himself. There could be no harsher critic to one's own failings than themselves, a truth Yu and Yosuke both knew too well. That was what had first made Yu think of Yosuke as a real companion. As a partner. They'd experienced Yosuke's shadow together, so Yu did his best to be as open and honest with Yosuke as he could be. That way, they could truly be equals.

And then it had come to this.

Whether or not Yosuke had truly understood the full meaning behind Yu's terrible, unclear confession, Yu was glad that Yosuke at least was still treating him like normal. At least that hadn't changed the way they'd interact with one another.

Of course, like a half-baked fool, Yu hadn't put any thought into how the rest of the team might've reacted.

"Senpai, you can't just leave us in suspense like this!" Rise cried out, over-dramatically flinging herself into Yu's arms as soon as they met up outside the school after classes. Yu had to quickly catch her, forced backwards a step by the momentum. She grabbed the sides of his school jacket and looked tearfully up at him, like a true actress. "Who were you confessing to? Do I know her? She has to be in our school, so I've gotta know her!"

"Calm down, Rise." Naoto piped up from her spot in their little group they'd made. Yu took a moment to adjust his and Rise's grips so he could hold her more comfortably. Rise, meanwhile, looked back at Naoto as the detective continued. "Give Senpai a moment, then he can explain it to us."

Yu froze up. Even Naoto hadn't figured it out? Or was she giving them a chance to figure it out on their own before explaining it? Yu's head spun from the possibilities. Either way, he was not at all relieved to hear her say something so ambiguous.

At the very least, Kanji seemed taken aback by all the fuss. "What're you talkin' about? It was totally obvious who Senpai meant."

"Thank you!" Chie gestured theatrically towards Kanji, as if presenting him as a prime example. "Yukiko and even Yosuke didn't get it, so it's nice to know someone else did."

Yukiko laughed and Yosuke flinched. His hand went up to hold onto his headphones as he protested. "I-I understood who he meant it for!"

Yosuke didn't know.

Yosuke hadn't understood.

This had been such a bad, stupid, terrible idea.

The din they were causing rose around Yu, seeming to shout him down and there was nothing he could do about it. This had been his own fault. He'd taken a risk and caused this. It was his mistake. He shouldn't have tried this. Why hadn't he left it all well enough and alone?

"All right, all right!" Yosuke shouted above Rise, Kanji, and Chie's voices, above Yu's own screaming thoughts of failure. The group hushed and, in spite of himself, a swell of pride helped Yu stand up straight. Yosuke was so good at taking charge and being the commanding one when Yu couldn't. "Enough, you guys. Leave him alone for now, he's had a rough day all ready. You can all grill him some more tomorrow."

There was a general sentiment of disappointment (mostly from Rise and Yukiko), but they backed down and the team dispersed, going their own ways. Yu deflated, relieved at not having to explain his mistake right away and crushed that the most important person to have understood his confession hadn't understood it. He'd used up his quota of talking meaninglessly for a whole week by this point.

He looked over and was shocked to see Yosuke still there, staring intently at him. After a moment, Yosuke asked, "You gonna be okay, partner?"

Yu thought about it a moment, taking a deep breath. Considering he'd broadcast his confession to the whole school, forgetting to name who it was for, and the intended recipient hadn't really understood that it'd been meant for them, he was doing pretty miserably. Unable to do much else, he leaned into Yosuke's shoulder as tears of frustration forced their way out. Yosuke patiently, gently reached over to wrap an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer.

"That's kinda what I was expecting, yeah." Yosuke mumbled softly, a reassuring support. Just as Yu needed. Yosuke was really too good to him. "C'mon, let's get you home."

Yu nodded vaguely, allowing Yosuke to direct the both of them back towards the Dojima residence. The place had really begun to feel like an actual home, with Nanako always there to greet Yu when he got back and Dojima also welcoming him whenever he got home early. Yu was grateful that he'd been able to connect with them in the way he had. He was grateful to have the both of them in his life.

Adding his friends, they all made a neat little family. Yet they'd all be taken away from him by the end of the year.

Perhaps it was for the best that Yosuke hadn't understood Yu's confession clearly.

Once they'd arrived, Yu had stopped crying and could at least think straight without being overrun by that self-doubt. Yosuke had to let go of Yu and now stepped back, ready to leave. "Get some rest, partner. We'll see ya tomorrow."

Yu grabbed Yosuke's wrist, effectively stopping his partner from leaving. Yosuke frowned back at him, questioning. Yu wanted him to stay. Stay for a while. Stay for dinner. Stay forever. The words wouldn't come out, stuck in his throat. His mind was going blank. How was he expected to communicate when everything he wanted to say was so pointless?

He wanted Yosuke. Wanted to say it better, be upfront about it this time. But he'd forgotten how to speak.

Yosuke smiled, an air of understanding about him. "I'll stay for a bit, but I gotta text my parents about it first. Teddie and all."

Oh. Right. Yu pulled back, sheepish. He'd selfishly thought only of what he wanted.

Yosuke laughed softly, stepping right up beside Yu and taking Yu's hand. "C'mon, partner. You're allowed to be a little selfish some of the time. I said I'd stay for a bit."

Yu bit his lip, but nodded. And, together, they stepped inside.

Yosuke was too good to him. Yu had been caught by this boy wholly and utterly. And there'd be no turning back now.


	2. A Love I Can't Do Without

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And it's love, try to hear me out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I live in chaos and I intend to keep it that way. ;w;  
> (aka as soon as I forgot that Kanji was in this scene and added the two sportsballs, it all went downhill in a delightful way)
> 
> (ALSO BETA'D AGAIN BY MY SIS SHE'S SO NICE TO ME ;w; ;;;; )

The school's mood only amped up as the culture festival arrived. Countless students would stop Yu to ask about the confession at every step, some serious and some joking, which served only to help the guy regress inwards. Yosuke wanted to scream at them (the whole team had been doing so good at getting Yu out of his shell before this!), but that'd be too rude, so he settled for telling some off and hurrying Yu along.

It didn't really help that even their team couldn't get a straight answer out of their leader, much to Rise's chagrin. At least they were all more understanding about it than the rest of the school. It also didn't help that their class had gone with Yosuke's dumb, stupid suggestion for a group date café instead of literally anything else.

"This freakin' sucks, man." Yosuke complained as they stood around in the empty room, waiting for anyone to walk in and try it. Yu shot an annoyed look at him, conveying enough through that alone, and Yosuke groaned. "How was I supposed to know they'd pick this? It was a joke!"

Chie scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, yeah? Was it also just a joke when you signed us up for the beauty pageant?"

Yukiko looked over at Yosuke as well, her smile of faux politeness searing. Yosuke winced, needing to avert his gaze to the floor. That had been a stupid lapse in judgement, admittedly, as even he was desperate to figure out who exactly Yu had confessed to. Any of his logic or reasoning behind it had just been the excuses of a guilty man, so he mumbled an apology and clamped his mouth shut resolutely.

Seeing as he wasn't about to rise to her challenge, Chie deflated and said, "It'd be nicer if we had something to do here, but no one's willing to put themselves through this embarrassment. We should've just gone with a rest stop instead at this point."

"But people would actually use that." Yukiko pointed out, sighing.

Yu slumped down into one of the chairs and buried his face in his hands, exhausted. Out of the lot of them, Yu had dealt with the most so far. Seeing their leader like this made Yosuke, Chie, and Yukiko overly aware of that fact and they shuffled uneasily, unwilling to be the first to go over and comfort him.

Well. Except Yosuke. Because Yosuke was the only one who could understand what Yu was trying to say sometimes and this whole thing was a failing on his part.

He walked over and placed a hand on Yu's shoulder, which did at least ease some of the tension in them. Kou and Daisuke suddenly entered the room, making all of them jump. Kou waved in an overly cheerful manner and greeted, "Hey, guys! No luck on the group date thing yet?"

Chie planted her fists firmly on her hips and grimaced. "Not even slightly."

"You'd think more would be trying to move through here to figure Yu-san out, considering." Daisuke remarked off-handedly.

Yosuke's hackles rose instinctively and his grip on Yu's shoulder tightened protectively. The hecklers needed to stay away and leave their leader alone all ready. But no, this was just Daisuke and Kou. They were Yu's friends. They didn't mean it in a hostile way. Yukiko gasped softly and said, "You're right! I didn't even think about that."

"Apparently, a lot of people didn't." Kou laughed. Chie's face lit up with an idea as Kou waved to them again. "Anyway, we popped in just to check on you guys, but--"

"Wait!" Chie shouted, hurrying over to stop them from leaving with her arms raised. "We should, uhh, do a-a practice round! As an example of what to do!"

Daisuke frowned at her, suspicious. "Why?"

"It might encourage more people to come in and try it." Chie answered quickly, grinning in triumph. "Stay and help us, please? We'll have an even six this way."

Daisuke's expression turned indignant. "You all ready have--"

"Yeah, sure!" Kou agreed, hooking his arm around Daisuke's and pulling the grumpier soccer player over to the table Yu was sitting at, cutting off any further protests. "Sounds like fun, right, Dai? We can learn a bit more about each other."

Though clearly unconvinced, Daisuke relented with a sigh. "Okay, fine. Let's do this."

"But, oh no!" Chie slapped a hand to her forehead and zipped over to the table as well. "We have too many guys!"

She looked pointedly at Yu and Yosuke. Something about this seemed overly theatrical, like it was an act she'd thought up on the spot. Yukiko giggled, holding back the full extent of her laughter, and said, "Looks like one of you will need to sit on the girls' side with us."

A look of realisation passed through Yu's face and he stood, scraping the chair loudly against the floor and startling Yosuke back. Yu stood there for a minute in contemplation, staring hard at the table, then he moved to take a seat on the other side. Presumably where the girls would be sitting. Though he'd committed fully, he kept his eyes hidden beneath his bangs.

After processing this, everyone seemed to resume all at once. "What a bold move, Yu-kun!" Yukiko cheered, clapping in delight.

"Yeah, anarchy!" Kou agreed, moving swiftly to take the seat beside Yu.

"Glad that's settled." Daisuke grumbled, sitting across from Kou and shaking his head.

Chie looked to Kou, a bit panicked. "Hey, wait, you should be on the guys' side, too."

"This'll be more fun." Kou protested cheerily, not about to move for anything. Even Yosuke could see that. "Now, which of you wants to play the guy in my place?"

"Ooh, you should, Chie." Yukiko nudged Chie, then sat at the remaining spot open beside Kou. Before Chie could object, Yukiko continued, "You're my dashing prince, after all. Aren't you?"

She winked cheekily, copying Yosuke's mannerisms, then burst into laughter. Chie hung her head in defeat; it seemed like her little plan went haywire with all these participants. Yosuke rolled his eyes and slumped into the seat across from Yu, saying, "Just go with it, it'll be easier."

Chie groaned, but did end up plopping down into the last seat. She crossed her arms in a huff and said, "All right, let's begin." She looked around at them expectantly and they all returned the sentiment. After a couple of seconds, her bravado faded and she hesitantly went on. "So. Who, uh, wants to start?"

"Allow me." Yukiko laughed, raising her hand. Kou joined in and at least those two seemed to be getting a real kick out of this fiasco. She paused to think for only a moment before asking, "If one of you were to become my knight in shining armour, how exactly would you go about rescuing me?"

Yosuke slammed his hands down on the table and shouted, "What the hell kind of question is that?"

"A pretty good one, honestly." Daisuke grinned, playing along as he gave it some serious thought. "As your knight, I'd make sure to gallantly allow you to continue being self-sufficient in your own right. You're not just some damsel in distress, after all. You're a fully capable person in your own right."

Yukiko hummed thoughtfully, but Kou burst into a fresh bout of laughter. "And what the hell kind of response is that?" He asked. "She said she needed rescuing!"

"Actually, it's a pretty good one." Chie admitted through gritted teeth.

Yosuke groaned in aggravation, really regretting every decision he'd ever made in his life that had led up to this point. Finished with her contemplation, Yukiko nodded once and said, "I'll have to take that into consideration as we continue. Maybe you'll wind up with a girlfriend after all, Nagase-san."

"I don't like girls." Daisuke responded grumpily.

They were all silent for a beat (and even Yu looked shocked to hear this), then Yukiko laughed. "Anyway, Chie." She continued, keeping this train wreck going full speed. "You answer my question, too."

"Wha--? Why me?" Chie asked, panicking a bit. "Shouldn't we go with, uh, one question and one answer per person?"

"That'd be more like speed dating, Satonaka-chan." Kou pointed out, grinning like he had a hand in this. "This is a group date. Anything goes!"

Yukiko 'ooh'ed in interest while Yosuke held his head in his hands. If the universe wanted to just end him now and spare him all this, that would be much appreciated. Chie gave a heavy exhale, then relented and answered, "I guess. I-I wouldn't do much differently than what we do now. If you were in distress, I'd do my best to understand what was wrong and-and try to make you happy again."

"Aww, Chie." Yukiko cooed softly, genuinely touched.

"Now that's an answer." Kou nodded along approvingly.

In the beat of silence that followed, they all turned their gazes towards Yosuke. After noticing this, Yosuke recoiled in surprise. "What? Y-You really want me to answer this, too?"

"Everyone should get a chance to voice their opinion. Even you, Yosuke-san." Yukiko nodded once, all polite and proper like he was a complete stranger.

"As long as it's not weird." Chie joined in.

Yosuke huffed, taking offense. If that was how they were going to be, then fine. Too worked up to give it any serious thought, he started, "I'd prefer we work side-by-side than being solely responsible for rescuing you. I mean, I don't mind if I have to step in and help, but working together and talking things out'll probably help fix the problem in the long run rather than just rushing in and possibly making things worse."

He shrugged in the end, unsure of where he'd been going with that. Daisuke grinned at him and said, "This from the guy who can't sit still for two minutes."

"Actually, that was great!" Chie jumped in before Yosuke could form another retort. She turned towards Yu and grinned mischievously. "Look, even Yu-kun is speechless."

They all followed her direction and saw that Yu did, indeed, seem to be frozen in surprise. Kou frowned back at Chie in confusion and said, "He's always speechless, though."

"I was going to say that, too." Yukiko giggled.

Chie tossed her head back and complained, "C'mon, guys, work with me here!"

Yosuke winced and asked, "Was it that shocking?"

Yu snapped back to attention and shook his head. He even smiled a bit, one that showed pride at Yosuke's thoughtfulness. Which, hey, was a better confirmation than he'd ever get from Chie or Yukiko. And relieving, considering he'd been talking off the top of his head like usual.

There was a loud noise from outside the classroom and they all turned towards the door, distracted. Kanji appeared and entered. "Hey, senpai, it's gonna be time--" He started, then stopped on seeing them all seated at the table. They all stared back, too surprised to do much else. He grabbed a seat and sat down in it backwards, then tried again. "Okay. I'm curious to see where the hell this is headed."

Embarrassed, Yosuke shouted, "You can't just sit there and watch!"

"Why not?" Kanji asked in return.

"This was supposed to get people's interest and show them what to do." Yukiko noted, cutting in before Yosuke could make even more of a fool of himself. "Why don't we finish up with one last question? Then we can get you boys ready for the cross dressing pageant."

She smiled icily, a clear threat. Sheesh, she could be terrifying when she wanted to. Chie hopped up eagerly, doing her best to regain control over this crazy ride. "That's a great idea! Yosuke, take it away!"

"What the hell, Chie?" Yosuke sputtered. "Why me?"

"Don't argue, dude." Daisuke sighed, resigned to his fate.

"Less deliberating, more questioning!" Kou cheered along.

These people were infuriating. Yosuke groaned and said, "Fine. No better question to end this on than, out of the three of us, which would you date?"

"What?" Chie shrieked. "That's too sudden! You can't ask that!"

"Actually, that's an easy one." Kou laughed. "I'd pick Dai, of course."

Daisuke rolled his eyes and replied, "Very funny, Kou, but you're not fooling anyone."

"Who said I was joking?"

Kou leaned forward onto his elbows and smirked up at Daisuke. Both Chie and Kanji reeled back in surprise while Yukiko gave a soft, "Aww, that's so nice."

Daisuke, meanwhile, hesitated, and said, "Wait. Really?"

"Well, yeah." Kou answered, breaking out of the moment to sit back and snicker. "Who else would be willing to take care of a dummy like you?"

Immediately, Daisuke's expression soured. "Okay, wise guy."

Kou burst into noisy laughter and Yukiko joined in. Yosuke, once again, buried his face in his hands. With this wacky crew, there was no control. Just a wild, screeching ride with a broken eject button down a cliff and into a spike trap. Chie spoke loudly, trying to wrangle them back on topic. "That's one answer, but, uh. What about Yu and Yukiko?"

Yukiko stopped laughing on a dime and went into deep contemplation. "Honestly, that's a tough one." She said. It was hard to tell whether she truly meant it or if she was just going along with the joke. "Yosuke is disappointing, but it would be pretty hilarious to see everyone's reactions. And Chie is my dear prince."

"No consideration for Daisuke?" Kou teased.

"You claimed him all ready, I thought." Yukiko replied very matter-of-factly.

"While you're deliberating, let's get Yu's opinion." Chie said, trying to hurry them along for some reason. She leaned across the table and, a bit too intensely, went on. "C'mon, Yu. Tell us which one of us you'd date."

It was like she wanted to force it out of him. Yu panicked under the pressure, looking up at Yosuke briefly before ducking his head to hide under his bangs. This was what Yosuke had been worried about. This was what he wanted to save Yu from for the past while! Yosuke stood and, in an authoritative tone that shocked even himself, said, "Knock it off, Chie. Let's just start getting ready for the pageant."

Kou gave a disappointed, "Aww."

Chie sat back, relenting. "Okay, okay." After a moment, she guiltily added, "Sorry, Yu."

Yu remained where he was, trying to calm down. Poor guy. Daisuke and Kou stood, waving as they left (and arguing until getting lost in the crowd; Yosuke really didn't get those two) and Kanji went to chat with Chie and Yukiko about these preparations. Yosuke took the moment to rub Yu's shoulder reassuringly, murmuring, "You gonna be okay for this? We can make some excuse for you if you don't think you're up for it."

Yu shook his head, his resolve helping to steel himself over. Yosuke relented, trusting their leader, and went over to Chie to start getting ready. Rise, Naoto, and Teddie all arrived, causing some commotion, but things settled down for the time being. The whole time she was helping him prep, Chie lamented that Yu couldn't be more upfront about his feelings when he'd gone and made a school-wide announcement about it and how no one had realised what was so obvious to her yet. It got to the point where Yosuke just decided to do the rest of the work himself, fixing his hair and the way those god-awful socks accentuated his legs.

The pageant wasn't entirely terrible, surprisingly. The host picked on Yu a bit too much, emphasising the fact that Yu was 'a maiden in love' and how it could be anyone in their school, but of course Teddie won. Naoto really knew her stuff when it came to disguising one's gender.

Only as he was heading home did Yosuke realise that he'd recognised what Yu had wanted to say back there.

The offers to hang out even though they were both insanely busy, the perpetual nervousness that had grown between them, the warm gazes that kept distracting both of them during battle; it all made sense now.

It was him. It really was him whom Yu had tried to confess to.

Shit. Well. Chie was right. Yosuke was a dense idiot.

Unsure of what exactly to do with this newfound information, Yosuke kept it to himself. Yu was so stressed about everything and the school was kind of a warzone over this, so bringing it up now wasn't the best time. After things died down, then they could talk more about it.

Things didn't just die down for the Investigation Team, however. At the centre of an intense kidnapping and murder mystery such as this, things could only escalate further.

//

For a while there, after Nanako got kidnapped, hospitalised, and nearly died (well, she did die for a minute there, but Yu was trying not to remind himself of that too much), Yu didn't have any time to breathe. Teddie had gone missing but thankfully resurfaced. They outed Adachi as the true culprit and chased after him, then had to fight back some Ameno-sagiri from merging the TV world with theirs. So to say they were all exhausted was an understatement.

Luckily, things were finally starting to return to normal as Christmas Eve rolled around. Both Nanako and Dojima were being allowed out of the hospital for the holiday, so Yu invited the whole team over to celebrate. It had been lonely the past month and a half and Yu had been a real wreck, but the team held strong and Yu was grateful to all of them. Yosuke especially had been attentive, coming over whenever he had the time and staying overnight when Yu was too stressed to do much else besides cry himself to sleep.

Yu was so, so grateful to have a partner like Yosuke. Even if he'd fumbled his confession attempt, their friendship had never been stronger.

After they had to put Nanako to sleep and the rest of the team headed out, including Teddie, Yosuke hesitantly admitted, "I, uh. Got permission to stay the night. If that's, uh, cool with you, at least."

Yu nodded quickly in affirmation, though a bit confused by Yosuke's nervousness. It wasn't like this was a new thing. Yosuke brightened at that, at least, and gently took Yu's wrist.

"C'mon, I got something for you."

He led the way up to Yu's room and Yu wanted to protest (leaving the mess for Dojima to clean up was irresponsible!), but could only go along as his face burned at the odd implication of the scenario. Yosuke didn't even know Yu's true feelings, that'd be impossible. Yu wasn't sure he'd even be ready for something so intimate yet.

Once they were inside and seated at Yu's work table, however, Yosuke pulled out a pair of bright orange earmuffs and handed them proudly over to Yu. "Ta-dah!" Yosuke cheered. "What do you think? You like 'em?"

Yu accepted the gift and turned them over in his hands. The fluff on them was soft and still warm from being in Yosuke's pocket. He put them on experimentally (high wind resistance and plus five strength, his mind helpfully supplied), then smiled over at Yosuke with a quiet, "I love them."

"Nice, good. I'm glad." Yosuke chuckled, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "I know you all ready have a pair, but. Well, those ones are plain black, and I thought. It'd be nice if, uh. If we could. Y'know, maybe match a-a bit."

He gestured to his headphones cutely and Yu couldn't help but laugh. "Good thinking, partner." Yu praised.

Yosuke's face went bright red, but he seemed pleased. Yu was so in love with him. The way he cared for Yu and the team, the way he took charge where Yu couldn't, his shyness and endearing enthusiasm; Yu was pretty sure he loved everything about Yosuke by this point. They were partners, equals, best friends.

Yu stood and, in a surge of boldness, moved to sit right beside Yosuke. Though surprised at first, Yosuke allowed Yu to lean into him and even entwined their hands together. Softly, Yu said, "Sorry I don't have anything for you in return."

"That's all right, you had more important things to take care of." Yosuke replied quickly. He rested his head against Yu's and mumbled, "Besides, this. This is nice enough."

Yu closed his eyes and focused wholly on the boy beside him. Yosuke smelled nice, like he'd used a fruity shampoo, and was a reassuring warmth. If Yu was better at speaking up, this could've easily been a date. But Yu was fine in remaining friends with the other boy. Especially when their friendship had never been stronger.

Eventually, Yosuke stood and mentioned they should get to sleep. Which, Yu had been dozing, so that was probably a good idea. While Yosuke used the bathroom first, Yu went downstairs to clean up the party mess and keep himself occupied so he didn't just pass out. Dojima had also turned in for the night, leaving the house as quiet as it had been for the past month but certainly not as empty. When Yosuke was finished, Yu took his time brushing his teeth, then went to join Yosuke in his room.

The light was off, but the second futon hadn't been set out yet. Even when Yu had pulled Yosuke into his bed the few times he'd needed that extra reassurance, they'd still definitely had two futons to choose from. Yu frowned, more curious than upset.

Recognising this, Yosuke said, "I-I thought. Uh. We could share for-for tonight. I mean, if that's-if that's okay with you."

Yu was struck once more by how nervous Yosuke was being. He knelt down by his futon and met Yosuke's eyes, inquiring silently. Yosuke shrunk into the bed more, using the thick comforter to hide how much he was blushing. Before Yu could voice his question, it hit him; this was, in fact, a date. He switched questions instantly, asking instead, "Since when?"

"Culture festival." Yosuke replied bashfully. "There wasn't really a good time to tell you, so I was gonna wait until the whole. U-Until all the chaos died down."

Yu found himself grinning and dove under the covers, making Yosuke squawk as he pulled himself tightly against his best friend. His partner. The boy he'd fallen so head over heels for. Yosuke laughed out of relief in the end, returning the hug with just as much enthusiasm, and Yu said in a breathless rush, "I love you."

"I love you, too." Yosuke replied.

The words were as warm and as confident as Yu had always hoped they'd be, even as Yosuke radiated nervousness. Yu wanted to hear them again and again. He wanted nothing more than to lay here with his best friend, his precious partner, and soak up all that warmth he'd yearned for the whole year.

Yosuke brushed his hands through the hair at the nape of Yu's neck as he mumbled, "You make me want to be better. To be someone you can rely on. I never knew I had such. Heat. Inside of me."

He cringed at his own words, but Yu leaned up and kissed him. There was no more need for words now. Though shocked at first, Yosuke kissed back. Yu was reeling from how perfectly things had worked out considering how disastrously everything had started.

And, for now, he was content to stay in Yosuke's arms, enjoying the other boy's presence.

In his excitement, the next morning, he announced that he and Yosuke were dating to Dojima and Nanako before Yosuke had made it downstairs. While Nanako was ecstatic to hear this (and ran over to congratulate Yosuke when he did come down), Dojima responded mostly with confusion. After Yu explained it, however, Dojima ended up congratulating them as well. And Yu couldn't be happier.

//

"Valentines is such a drag." Chie complained loudly as classes ended for the day. Yosuke didn't pay her much mind, even as she continued. "It's like, why have one specific day for confessing your love to someone? You can do it at any time."

"But White's Day makes it more fun." Yukiko pointed out.

They'd been worrying about today aimlessly for the past week, still abuzz over who the mystery person Yu confessed to was. Well, Yukiko was, at least. Chie all ready knew. Yosuke finished packing up his things and stood, grinning at Yu. "Ready to go, partner?" He asked.

Yu nodded, standing as well.

The two watched in shocked silence as Yosuke took Yu's hand in his, then walked out of the classroom with their leader. His boyfriend. It was still weird to think of things like that, but Yosuke was getting more used to it every day. And, with the investigation closed, they had plenty of time to spend getting used to this.

"Should we, um. Let them know?" Yu asked as they exited the school.

Yosuke snorted through his nose. "Chie knows. She and Kanji can tell everyone else." He glanced around quickly, making sure they weren't being watched, then pulled Yu in for a quick kiss. Then he admitted, "I want you to myself just a bit longer."

Yu smiled in return, that same lovesick expression he'd had whenever he stared too long at Yosuke for a while. They headed towards the Samegawa floodplain and Yosuke took great pleasure in the fact that Yu was willing to spoil him like this. Just for now. Until Yu left for the year.

But that was a whole month away. For right now, they could while the days away without a care other than being caught up in one another. Yu didn't have to say a thing.

The rest of the team ended up finding them there at the floodplain on their date and made a whole ruckus over it. They congratulated them in the end, but it still painted Yosuke as a target for endless questions. He was frustrated at first, but seeing Yu laugh so heartily and openly helped him calm down. Helped him realise that, hey, maybe it wasn't the worst thing in the world for their leader to be comfortable in showing his emotions around them.

And Yosuke wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
